Daphne Valente: " The fact that Greece has lots of bright, talented, hard working people has been ignored so I would like to ask the people who are listening to reconsider and reevaluate the Greeks"
BPP: Who are you? And who you really are?
Daphne Valente: I am a Fashion and accessories designer, living in Athens, Greece during the depression!
Studied at F.I.T. in N.Y. and at St Martins school of Art in London.
Have participated in many international exhibitions and catwalks and my collections have been selling in exclusive stores worldwide.
As president of Hellenic Fashion Designers Association, I have put all my effort in organizing Hellenic Fashion Week.
Currently working on artistic, one off pieces of jewelry, exhibiting my work in Art galleries, while my trademark pleated scarves are selling at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
.JPG)
Mercury collection - Photo: Boris Pilipenko
My style can be described as sculptural, mobile and is bold but fragile at the same time.
My loved ones describe me as being warm hearted, well mannered, gentle, polite, extremely emotional, with a wicked sense of humor.
I am a perfectionist as a true Virgo, I can become obsessive and moody.
I fight over my tendency for negative thinking.
I love the arts, the sea, animals, enjoy cooking.
I am a vegetarian, love Yoga, hate smoking, my best item of clothing is the pareo and I cannot resist buying Art books and cosmetics
I appreciate beauty in all forms and I am very sociable and at the same time a loner!
Photo: Boris Pilipenko
Photo: Boris Pilipenko
BPP: If you could say something important to others who were listening, what would you tell them?
Daphne Valente: I would tell them that now, more than ever, to give Greece a chance!
Its is very upsetting to be considered lazy, con men, thieves just because we are Greek.
The fact that Greece has lots of bright, talented, hard working people has been ignored so I would like to ask the people who are listening to reconsider and reevaluate the Greeks.
Elia Collection
Photo: Boris Pilipenko
Photo: Boris Pilipenko
BPP: What is your true dream, the one that keeps you up at night and if one day it were to come true you would feel peace and calmness in your heart?
Daphne Valente: I have had a very full life, had lots of success stories and far too many dramatic events, I have laughed and I have cried a lot, but on the whole I feel blessed that through the many hardships I have managed to preserve my dignity, my sensitivity and my sense of humor.
Now my only dream is to remain creative, as long as I live and I wish for my loved ones to be healthy.
Oh, and by the way, I sleep well at night!
Photo: Boris Pilipenko
BPP: How is life currently for the people in your country and what would you wish for them and for the planet at large?
Daphne Valente: The Greek people, who are in principal, fun loving, open, giving and warm, have lost their smiles, they have become insecure and depressed, fighting with unemployment, poverty and social unrest but I wish that out if this crisis there might be some positive changes.
I hope they will regain respect for each other, they will rediscover that ' Less is more', they will concentrate on higher ideals, on their spiritual and cultural growth and they will find once again the spirit of camaraderie.
For the planet I wish that logic will prevail and we will avoid wars, terrorist attacks and ecological disasters, while we find ways to abolish famine and disease.
Photo: George Hatzakos
BPP: If you had a chance to be a child again would you choose the same life?
Daphne Valente: My childhood was difficult since my parents divorced when I was two and had no brothers or sisters. I was a lonely, insecure, withdrawn, shy child, more mature than my age, but looking back I believe that I became a hard working, creative, overachiever because I had this particular childhood.
Photo: Lydia Venieri
Photo: Lydia Venieri
From Daphne's first solo exhibition at Art gallery 3.
Photo: Lydia Venieri
BPP: What was the exact moment that you realized what you wanted to do with your life? How did you feel at this very moment?
Daphne Valente: Ever since I can remember, I was artistic.
I was making and selling jewelry at 12!
At school I knew I was going to study Art in some form, at first I was interested in theatre, wanted to study costume design, directing or theatre design but after graduation I decided to study fashion because since adolescence, I was designing my own clothes out of the need to stand out in the crowd.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
BPP: Would you like to tell us something we didn’t ask until now?
Daphne Valente: If I had the chance, what would I have done differently in my career?
After college I wouldn't have started my own company in Greece so soon, I would have tried to gain experience, working for other designers in Paris or Milan and I think I would have been much better off if I had pursued a career abroad.
But luckily I have no bitter feelings!
.JPG)
Photo: Noss
photo by Penelope Massouri
If you want to see Daphne Valente's work on the catwalk, you can watch the video above.
If you want to learn more about her work, please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/daphne.valente.9
ALL CONTENT © ISMINI KARALI 2011 - 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
No comments:
Post a Comment